Increasingly, consumers and businesses are turning to the Internet for information regarding products and services that interest them. Search engines are used to identify merchants, suppliers, distributors, and manufacturers, to competitively price the desired goods or services, and to locate the facilities of the corresponding businesses. Likewise, purveyors of goods and services recognize the need for their businesses to have an Internet presence in order to compete in the marketplace.
With the prevalence of websites and Internet listings comes the risk that not all business information found on the Web is genuine. For example, some fly-by-night businesses may provide fraudulent information, preying on customers who are enticed by their low prices. Other businesses may be genuine, but may misrepresent themselves as global enterprises or as having large production capacities. Furthermore, many companies that are genuine and honest may be hurt indirectly by the misbehavior of other businesses. For example, an honest business entity that only operates on the Web and, as such, lacks a brick-and-mortar store be mistaken for a fraudulent or dishonest enterprise by those who don't know any better and who have previously been victims of fraudulent Internet business dealings.
Thus, there is a need for certifying business entities in an efficient and cost-effective manner and providing the certified information to users in an easy-to-use format.